THE CALL TO ACTION AFTER 70 YEARS

The passing of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok on Chaf Av emphasized a critical matter in his avoda throughout his life – mesirus nefesh for Klal Yisroel. * We need to learn a lesson for our lives, to act in this way too: forgoing our good for the good of someone else, devoting ourselves to the shlichus the Rebbe assigned to us, preparing the world to greet Moshiach.

This year, Chaf Av will mark 70 years since the passing of the kabbalist, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schneersohn, the father of the Rebbe MH”M. When marking 70 years to a certain event, I cannot help but be reminded of the Rebbe’s 70^th Year since his birth. The Rebbe considered 70 years as a particular milestone and urged Chassidim to start 71 new mosdos that year. A Chassid who said he started a new mosad received 71 dollars as the Rebbe’s token participation.

I was already on shlichus at the time, in Los Angeles, and I remember how R’ Shlomo Cunin fulfilled the Rebbe’s horaa with fervor. He started mosad after mosad and did not rest. The 70^th year of the Rebbe could not pass by as just an ordinary time!

The Rebbe also placed special emphasis on the idea of milestones when it came to yahrtzaits. So, I have no doubt the Rebbe wants us to mark his father’s passing on Chaf Av with a “great commotion” and particular inspiration.

THE MESSAGE OF CHAF MENACHEM AV

In one of his sichos, the Rebbe explained that in order to understand the essence of his father’s avoda, one needs to examine the Torah significance of Chaf Av, the day of his passing.

From a Torah perspective, Chaf Av was considered a special date even before the world was created! We know that certain things are established for a person’s future forty days before the fetus is conceived. Adam was created on Rosh HaShana, so forty days before that was Chaf Av. The Rebbe mentions this and says that on this day the avoda of Rosh HaShana already begins as well as the avoda of Yom Kippur, as alluded to in the fact that it is always the day of the week on which Yom Kippur falls out.

The next time the date Chaf Av appears in a Torah context is in the Mishna regarding the offering of wood – “the time of the wood [donation] of the Kohanim and the nation … on the 20^th [of Av], [the donation of wood was offered by] the sons of [the family of] Pachas Moav ben Yehuda.” In the Gemara there it says that it was a special day of celebration for this family who would bring their donation of wood on this day.

What was special about a donation of wood on this day that caused the family such great joy? The Gemara explains that there is something special about donating wood after the 15^th of Av – “on the 20th” – since “from the 15^th of Av and on the sun weakens and they would not cut wood for the pyre since it is not dry.” Nevertheless, these families donated wood for the altar even though they could not replace it by cutting down (good) new trees.

Their donation of wood on the 20^th emphasizes the greatness of the families that made the donation and forwent their personal good for the sake of the Jewish people, for the sacrifices of all Israel; not just for the communal sacrifices but also for individual sacrifices (even one who is in a low state who has to bring a sin offering and the like).

Says the Rebbe, this devotion toward another Jew pertains specifically to the House of Dovid. This is why the Gemara emphasizes that when it says “ben Yehuda” it means the descendants of “Dovid [HaMelech] ben Yehuda.” And according to R’ Yossi who says “these are descendants of Yoav ben Tzruya,” the Rebbe explains this is not a dispute about what actually occurred since this family descended from Dovid and Yoav (whose families married one another).

The Rebbe concludes that his father’s passing on the 20^th of Av (which represents the forgoing of one’s personal good for the sake of Klal Yisroel) underscores an essential point in the avoda of everyday life – mesirus nefesh for the welfare of Klal Yisroel – since he forwent his personal good for the sake of spreading and strengthening Torah and Judaism without taking the danger into account. As a result, he was arrested and exiled and died in exile.

When examining the mesirus nefesh that R’ Levi Yitzchok showed on behalf Klal Yisroel, we can definitely see how this was unusual mesirus nefesh. It wasn’t for a limited time, but from when he became a rav until his death, an entire career of mesirus nefesh!

It is said that after his wedding, R’ Levi Yitzchok was mortally ill. Although he was a young man and his father-in-law R’ Meir Shlomo Yanovsky was an older Chassid, one of the great rabbis of the time, they say that his father-in-law stood with one foot on a chair and meditated deeply and then suddenly said: Master of the universe, if You want to take him, take me instead.

Like his father, the Rebbe gives everything for us and we need to do the same – forgo our ostensible good for the welfare of someone else and be devoted to the shlichus the Rebbe assigned to us – to prepare the world to welcome Moshiach.